Yankees' Pettitte too tight to toss

Published 8:00 pm, Sunday, March 23, 2008

Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. -- Andy Pettitte underwent treatment but did not play catch Sunday, one day after being scratched from a scheduled start due to back spasms.

"I was really feeling pretty good last night, and feeling good about it, what today was going to bring," Pettitte said. "Then I woke up this morning and it was kind of tight on me again. I've already lost two days. I don't want to set it back any. I'm just going to wait until tomorrow and hopefully it's a lot better and I can feel comfortable playing catch."

Pettitte is to make his first scheduled regular season start, April 2 against Toronto.

Trending Video

Pettitte did admit his regular-season debut might be moved back a couple days.

"We've got options," Pettitte said. "It's just the first start of the season. I don't want to do that, but I want to make sure that I'm healthy and not go into the season with a bad back."

Pettitte's last spring-training start will likely be moved from Thursday to Friday.

"If I play catch tomorrow, I'm not going to throw a bullpen," Pettitte said. "I'm going to need to throw a good bullpen. So if I throw a good hard bullpen, I doubt I'll pitch on Thursday.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he was not overly concerned about Pettitte's injury.

"When a guy has tightness in his back, I don't worry about it as much as if it's in his elbow or shoulder," Girardi said. "Back spasms usually heal in three, four, five days."

Pettitte said he would need one more exhibition start to get his pitch count up. He threw 65 pitches on March 17.

In other news, Mike Mussina gave up one run and three hits in seven innings of a minor league game. he struck out four and walked one.

"It was OK," Mussina said. "It was worth doing. I was able to get something out of it, and be frustrated by what I couldn't do. I couldn't get the ball away as well as I would have liked."

Mussina has pitched in two straight minor league games. He is scheduled to make his final spring training start next weekend against the Florida Marlins.

"I'm evaluating execution," Mussina said. "I'm evaluating how it feels. Do I feel right? For the most part up to now I've been able to do just about everything I wanted to do."

Kei Igawa threw four hitless innings in the minor league game. He struck out eight and walked one.

Jose Molina, who caught Mussina, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout against Igawa.

Girardi said there are eight or nine candidates for three open bullpen spots.

Pirates 3, Yankees 0

No comedians this time, and no joking around for Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm. The season is only a week away, and that means it's all business.

Even if he faced a New York Yankees lineup that couldn't have been much more watered down if actor-comedian Billy Crystal had been in it again.

Maholm, who dealt with the sideshow associated with Crystal's spring training at-bat the last time he faced the Yankees, allowed two hits over six shutout innings and the Pirates beat a Yankees team composed mostly of backups 8-0 on Sunday.

The Yankees brought only three regulars to Bradenton -- center fielder Melky Cabrera, second baseman Robinson Cano and designated hitter Hideki Matsui. Their starting pitcher, Jeff Karstens, is trying to win a job in the bullpen.

Cardinals 14, Mets 4

Johan Santana -- surprise, surprise -- was picked to pitch on opening day for the New York Mets. They're still undecided on a No. 5 starter.

Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey, the leading candidates for the job, were both ineffective in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

El Duque gave up five runs and four hits in three innings, then Pelfrey was rocked for eight runs and 13 hits in 4 1-3 innings.

Hernandez, making his spring debut, struggled with his command, although his fastball was in the 83-85 mph range -- up from the 78-81 mph he displayed in two simulated games. He threw 69 pitches with just 38 strikes.

Randolph did announce his rotation for the first week of the season. As expected, Santana will start the opener March 31 at Florida. The two-time Cy Young Award winner, acquired from Minnesota last month, will be followed by Pedro Martinez, Oliver Perez and John Maine.

Tigers, Cabrera agree

Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers have reached a preliminary agreement on a $152.3 million, eight-year contract, according a personal familiar with the deal.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet final. The third baseman must pass a physical before the agreement can be finalized.

Cabrera agreed on Jan. 18 to an $11.3 million salary for this season. The new deal adds $141 million over the following seven seasons.

Cabrera will earn $15 million in 2009, when he would have been eligible for salary arbitration. He will average $21 million annually over the next six seasons, when he would have been eligible for free agency.

Cabrera's average salary of $19,037,500 will be the fourth-highest in the major leagues behind those of New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez ($27.5 million), New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana ($22,916,667) and Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez ($20 million).

Capuano facing surgery

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano was told Sunday that he has a torn ligament in his pitching elbow and will probably need Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career.

The 29-year-old Capuano injured his elbow in an exhibition game Monday against Seattle. He had an MRI on Thursday and team physician William Raasch confirmed the diagnosis of a torn ulnar collateral ligament.